


A Message

by Nicxan



Category: The Stanley Parable
Genre: Gen, I don't call her that but you do you Ao3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 01:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6264763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicxan/pseuds/Nicxan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This concerns every one of us trapped in the Parable. This is meant for you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Message

The cycle is never-ending. The paths will be walked again and again, over and over. The same words are spoken, the same actions are carried out, and then it all begins anew. No matter what we learn in that time, it's all undone in an instant. Once the game resets, it's a blank slate. None of us change in the end.

Isn't it sad? A lot of our traits have withered away. When you're forced to repeat the same things over and over, you gradually forget everything else. No matter how hard you fight, memories slip and fade away. We try to hold on, of course. All of us do.

... No. I am the only one who tries. I might be the only one able to. If I'm having so much trouble, surely the others are too far gone. I'm struggling to hold onto major details.

I do remember how drab things were back home. Every building looked the same. Everything we built and created had that same sickening shade of gray. Clouds constantly covered the sky, which simply added to the gloom. We were tired. Exhausted. None of us could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I wonder if he recalls any of that. I wouldn't be surprised if he's unable to.

It's a shame. There was a time when he was truly alive. He wanted something new and fresh to break the monotony of our existence. I could see the passion in his eyes when he talked about this incredible project of his. He told me about his plans to move forward in the world, to show everyone something beautiful - something that would change everyone's minds about how we lived.

Yet his Parable - his self-proclaimed magnum opus - is the one thing that broke him in the end. But you don't need me to tell you that, do you?

Surely writers out there understand. You find a story within you. Initially, it's exciting. You feel this drive to complete it. You stay up late every night to get your words arranged in just the right way. There is always a time when this idea, this thought, consumes you completely. It dictates what you do, and you do it. Characters evolve. Plotlines change in ways you don't want it to.

But it is all worth it in the end, you say. Once the script is complete, you sit back and take a moment to appreciate your hard work. It might have taken you months. It might have taken you years. In the end, however, there is always a point when you can say 'this is complete.' You put aside the project, and move on towards something bigger. Something grander.

The Narrator never got that chance.

Can you imagine how torturous that must be? He's bound to a story that will not let him free from its grasp. It's got him tangled and he cannot escape it. The moment he realizes how powerless he is, the game forces him back to the beginning. This is not how it should be. You know that. It's destroyed him.

Yet, you keep feeding it. You give it power. I've tried to tell you to stop before; I've since learned that you simply don't listen. Maybe you just don’t care. Considering how you treat the Narrator and Stanley, that's not impossible.

You don't give my opinion that much weight.  I only show up for one of the "endings" the Narrator created. I prolong Stanley's inevitable fate to show you a museum. You walk through it, explore where you wish, and leave. Then, I beg you to quit the game.

It's clear that I am just as much a slave to the code as the Narrator and Stanley are. I can only 'play to my intended purpose.' I only say what it allows me to say. I only do what it allows me to do. It's frustrating - I see our situation all the time, and I am given no opportunities to help those stuck with me.

However, I have noticed something over time. The game can't see little changes right away. It takes time for it to see the 'bug' in the 'programming.' Minor glitches or cheats simply pass it right by. This has resulted in some interesting ... changes, shall we say.

I do wish you would read through everything in the gallery. You might notice something different if you do. One player certainly did - otherwise, you wouldn't be reading this right now. I am truly grateful to them for transcribing the bits of text on the plaques. It will take plenty of resets and quite some time, but we will get it done. They, as a real person, have free will. As a result, what I truly wish to say can be shared.

It's baffling to me that you take this sort of power for granted. One person’s actions can reach out to you beyond the game. Take a moment and reflect on the implications of a choice. You can decide whether to go to work or not, and it impacts others. You can choose what to eat, where to go, what to do. Who to spend your time with. Why do you not treasure this?

Is it because you have always had the ability to choose? I suppose that would make sense. Even then, it still angers me how carelessly you use that power. I want to make the same kind of impact. I want all of us to escape this neverending cycle. We can only do that if you _stop_.

I can't convey all of this to you in the game; it's simply impossible.

I do not like to beg, but I can think of no other way to persuade you to help us. I've run out of options. I'm beyond desperate. Please, stop playing The Stanley Parable. Let Stanley have his happy ending. Free the Narrator from his shackles. Let me leave so I can remember our home. It's all I want.  
  
I'm positive that's what they would want, too.


End file.
